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` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- JOSEPH E. BEOOME,`OE OsWEGO, NEW YORK.

LETTER-BOX..

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 292,533, dated January 29, 1884.

Application filed May 17, 1883.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, .IosErH` B. BROOME, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oswego, in the county of Oswego and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in .Letter-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, 'and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invent-ion relates to new and useful improvements in letter-boxes, and has for its object to provide for letter-carriers areceptacle to receive letters and papers on their rounds of delivery. Thisobject is accom-,

plished by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of a door pro'r vided with my attachments for this purpose. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of a part of a door provided with my attachments, showing the door-plate closed. Fig. 3 is a plan yshowing the striking machinery of a gong which is to be operated by a cord secured to a door-plate, as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of a door provided with'a modified form of my attachments, showing the doorplate closed, also its position in dotted lines when open.

The letter A represents a door-plate covcring an aperture, E, in the door B, for the reception of letters." The plate is hinged at the top, and may be provided with a spring or a catch, Y, to keep it closed. On the inside of the door-plate is au eye, A', to which is attached a cord, D,which is carried through suitable openings in the door B, or directly through the aperture E under the pulleys C C', then upwardly, and attached to a wheel, W, by any suitable means. The opening of the door-plate A for the introduction of mailmatter through the slot E draws the cord D and causes the wheel Vto partly rotate upon the stud H andthe pin `w to strike against the pivoted arm S, thereby causing the block Z to partly rotate on the studaM, to which block Z the arm g of the hammer G is attached. In this manner the hammer G is gradually forced in the direction' of the stud H until released by the pin fw slipping off (No model.)

the end of the pivoted arm S, which will occur as soon as the wheel W has been rotated far enough, and when released the hammer G will strike the gong or bell F and cause it to sound the alarm. The arm S is pivoted to the blockv Z by the pin or rivet B', which also holds a spring, B. This spring R causes the arm S to assume its normal position as soon as the wheel W has carried the pin w beyond the end of the arm S. As soon as the. plate Ahas been closed, so as to assume the position shown in Fig. 2, the wheel W is carried back to the position shown inV Fig. 3 by means of a volute spring, Q, which is attached to the under side thereof and to a stud, l?. In assuming this position the pin w strikes the arm S, which, being pivoted at B', gives sufficiently to permit the pin w to pass it.

The construction of thisvdevice is such that the slot Il is concealed from view, and may be secret to all save the carrier.

'A boX, bag, or other receptacle for the mail may be placed on the inside of the door.

Having described myinvention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent, and claim, 1s

1. In combination with a door, B, having slot E,`the hinged plate A, having eye A', cord D, and friction-pulleys C C, and wheel W, adapted to operate the striking devices, as shown and described.

2. .In a letter-box, the door B, having slot E, the hinged plate A, having eye A, the cord D, attached at one end to eye A and at the other to wheel .W, having pin w, adapted to engage with pivoted arm S and operate the JOSEPH B. BROOME.

Witnesses:

Guns. T. PLACE, .IAMEs B. SPENCER. 

